


The Sun and Moon's Game of Hide And Seek

by aegicheezu



Category: Jrock, X JAPAN
Genre: Flashbacks, Fluff, Homophobic Language, M/M, Smut, Vampires, but it's only said twice and the attacker gets killed so there's that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2019-02-05 03:49:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12786321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aegicheezu/pseuds/aegicheezu
Summary: Yoshiki and Hide have been together forever – literally. The vampire duo reflects on their long relationship one evening.*Inspired by Hide’s song “50/50” –  English lyrics found here: http://www.jpopasia.com/hide/lyrics/38470/50-50/50-50/*Hide is capitalized for ease of reading*There is no untimely death for our beloved Hide in this fic! So, don’t worry!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is kind of an overall fix-it fic for hide's death, which I will probably never get over. So my solution? Make them vampires, obviously. Enjoy! 
> 
> note: the song referenced later on is Kurenai (english lyrics)

**_Tokyo, 1990s_ **

Yoshiki’s face scrunched as he attempted to intricately braid Hide’s hair. Even though it had been recently cut, he still enjoyed playing with it while the two men rested in bed after long hours spent in the recording studio.

He continued to comb through Hide’s bright pink hair with his fingers, humming a tune. _Art of Life_ , an early one of X’s hits. His gentle humming was beginning to put Hide to sleep; his voice often had that effect. Hide felt his eyelids growing heavier by the moment, as he melted into Yoshiki’s touch. _He’s always been so gentle with me, since the very start…_ he thought, wistfully.

“Yo-chan,” Hide spoke softly, “let’s drink tonight.”

Yoshiki continued to braid the other man’s hair. “Wine, or…?” he asked.

“I’m hungry, Yo-chan,” Hide clarified, “let’s drink.” He tilted his head back and pouted at the other man, puffing his cheeks slightly. _How cute he is_ , Yoshiki thought.

Kissing Hide’s forehead, he smiled. Whenever Hide got hungry after days or weeks between feedings, his voice turned childlike. It was rather cute; he’d gotten used to it after over one hundred years.  

“Shall we go?” Yoshiki concluded after a while. “We should buy hair dye while we’re out,” he added, “your roots need doing.”

Hide laughed.

*

The pair had developed strict rules for themselves over the years; partially so they could continue living without being caught, and partially because, though they weren’t human any longer, they didn’t want to act like monsters. They had learned to control their hunger for blood well; only feeding once or twice a month was enough to sustain them – and, they only fed on criminals, people who hurt others. That way, they felt, at least a little justice would be done. And of course, now that they were famous – at least, in this lifetime – they always hunted in disguise. Neither had intended for their band to gain such notoriety so quickly; they just thought that playing music for a while would be a fun way to kill time. Suddenly though, they were touring the country and playing at stadiums; so these days, they had to be careful.

The attention was not unwelcomed though; they really did enjoy making music. The songwriting was therapeutic for them both – both Yoshiki and Hide had been poets in past lifecycles, past generations. So, it was only fitting that they were musicians in this life, too.

Tonight was no different from any other night they went out in search of blood – in full disguise and undercover of the pale moonlit night, they watched people go by until they set their eyes on a man who seemed to be following a young woman. They trailed behind him, and just before the man made his attempt to grab the unsuspecting woman, Yoshiki appeared in front of him in a flash and Hide took hold of his hands from behind. Having captured their dinner, they disappeared into nothing.

*

Sometime later, the two men returned to their apartment. Drinking always seemed to put the men in a romantic mood; the rush of warm blood running through their veins gave them renewed energy. The moment they turned the key in the front door, Hide’s hands snaked all over Yoshiki’s torso, slipping beneath the hem of his shirt.

“Wait until we get inside, at least!” Yoshiki hissed, jokingly. In truth, he loved when Hide got handsy. Wherever Hide’s fingertips grazed his cool skin, he felt warmth. Though both men’s skin was cold as ice, somehow when they touched, it felt like they were human once more. Though of course, Yoshiki knew, that was impossible. Still, he fancied that it was true.

Finally, inside and away from the prying eyes of the elderly women who inhabited the apartment block, Yoshiki gave in to Hide’s touch. He pinned the shorter man against the wall and kissed along his jaw and neck, making Hide shiver with delight.

“Yo-chan, that tickles…” Hide cooed into his lover’s ear. He slipped one hand below the waistband of Yoshiki’s jeans, tugging slightly at them signaling his interest. Yoshiki grinned against Hide’s cheek.

“Oh, my pretty vampire,” Yoshiki growled hungrily at Hide’s touch. “Whatever am I going to do with you?”

Hide nibbled Yoshiki’s ear. “You could take me to bed, for starters…”

Yoshiki hoisted Hide’s legs around his hips and carried him to their bed in a swift motion, gently tossing him against the mattress and joined him on the bed. “So strong,” Hide mused, caressing Yoshiki’s arms.

“Hide,” Yoshiki pressed their foreheads together and breathed deeply. “I love you…”

Hide smiled. For over a hundred years, Yoshiki said ‘I love you’ in the same way. Like a spell, the words bound him to the other man. “I love you too, Yo-chan. Forever and ever and ever.” He leaned upwards and kissed him, softly at first, but deepened the kiss and tangled his hands in the other man’s silken hair. No matter how many times they might fight, over the most trivial of things – the band’s makeup style, a song lyric out of place, even the brand of hair spray they used before a big show – they always came back to moments like this, where the two reveled in each other’s presence, their eternally youthful bodies entwined within each other, glistening with sweat in the dead of the night.

*

Yoshiki got up to fetch a drink of water for himself and Hide. While he was in the kitchen, a soft voice called from their bedroom;

“Yo-chan,” Hide’s voice was rough with sleep. “I want to look at old photos.”

“That’s a strange request,” Yoshiki answered sweetly. Smiling, he added, “I’ll get the photo album.”

Yoshiki padded back to their bed and opened the large book with a crack – the plastic pages stuck together over time. Hide nestled into the crook of Yoshiki’s neck and sighed happily.

“Start at the beginning,” he said sleepily, like a child wanting a long bedtime story.

The photos at the start of the album were old and faded – the camera had only just been brought to Japan, then, and the men had been lucky enough to be seen as curiosities for the Europeans who came to trade. Staring back at them from the photopaper, the black and white figures were dressed in resplendent robes; their hair pinned back, arms by their sides. Back then, smiling for photos wasn’t done; and, truth be told, at the time the pair were skeptical of their European visitors and hadn’t much wanted to pose for the photo at all. But, hundreds of years later and resting in their Tokyo apartment together, they were glad they did.

By then, the pair had already been turned into vampires. Neither remembered much of their human lives before the transformations; an unfortunate side-effect of the initial bite. All they knew was that they must have been friends before – they had awoken on the riverside days later, side by side and confused. Their attacker had fled and had never come back for them; they had to teach themselves what to do and how not to get caught. At first, the pair simply thought they had come down with a terrible sickness; but no doctor could cure what appeared then to be a case of extreme anemia. Over time, and with much research done in secret, the two men realized what they had become and learned how to cope. And within mere months, they had fallen irreversibly in love.

“Do you remember the moon-viewing party?” Hide asked, twirling a strand of Yoshiki’s dyed blonde hair in his fingers.

“Vividly,” Yoshiki smiled down at the other man, and kissed his forehead. “This photo was taken shortly after that, wasn’t it?”

“Mhm,” Hide confirmed. “How handsome you looked in your robes… it’s a shame that colour photography came so much later.”

“You always did look so beautiful in ocean blues,” Yoshiki added, “With your long black hair.”

Hide playfully patted the top of Yoshiki’s blonde head. “Those days are all gone now, aren’t they?” he laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

**_1860s, Heian-kyō_ **

Matsumoto Hideto lay reclined on the dais in his chamber, leafing through a bundle of letters that had been sent to his rooms. A little smile crept across his lips; it was his practice to burn these correspondences after he read them so as not to create suspicion – but, he hated to do so. The words were often so pretty and left him with wondrous images in his heart that he felt a pain each time he cast the pages onto the fluttering flames.

In this life, Hideto was a favourite poet of the Emperor. He was blessed to be so well taken care of; the Emperor was so fond of his poets and musicians, he never wanted for anything. Hideto took his eyes off the fine script in front of him and looked up at the wooden beams overhead. _He will be expecting verses for the moon-viewing this month_ , he thought. _I should start soon_. But, as he thought that, his eyes were drawn back to the delicate poetry on the parchment in front of him.

_My love –_

_How I long to be with you again_

_The days are too long and I_

_Cannot touch you while other’s eyes_

_Linger on our presence_

_On the night of the full moon_

_Let us dance together_

_Away from prying eyes_

_Let us live only for each other_

_My eternal lover_

 

The sweet words made Hideto’s heart flutter, and he delighted in the faint smell of the perfume that clung to the fine paper. The poems were from his lover, Hayashi Yoshiki. He too was a poet in the Emperor’s court, who was often at the Empress’ side – she adored the short verses he wrote for her and her children. Hideto and Yoshiki had been secretly seeing each other for years, though you would never know it. In public, they were the very picture of gentile civility; the whole court was fooled by their outward appearances. And of course, the court knew nothing of their other secret – in the dead of night, the illustrious poets flitted about the capital in search of unsuspecting victims to feed on.  

Memorizing the beautiful poetry, Hideto theatrically tossed the letter into the fire. He swished over to his writing table and gingerly inked his quill.

_My eternal darling –_

_On the night of the full moon_

_I will want nothing more_

_Than your flesh against mine_

_Making a music sweeter_

_Than the Emperor’s own flute_

 

Hideto grinned. _I wonder if that’s too direct_ , he thought playfully. _No matter_ , he shook his head, _only Yoshiki will read it_.

He carefully wrapped and sealed the love note and sent his most trusted page-boy to deliver it to Yoshiki’s chamber. Once he had sent the letter away, he returned to rest on the dais and examined his fingers – slightly ink-stained. He mused that the ink splotches on his skin were not unlike accidental drippings of blood. As he pondered, a pang of hunger washed over his slim form. _I will have to eat again soon_ , he reminded himself. Knowing he would have to wash the ink off before his session with the Emperor later that day, he decided to have a bath. His servant prepared the hot coals and filled his wash basin while Hideto slipped his robes off behind the screen in his room. Unpinning his hair took some effort; so he enlisted the help of his servant. Once finished, Hideto’s hair reached to almost the small of his back; slightly longer than was the fashion for men at the time, but no one seemed to notice.

As he reclined in the bath and let his servant wash his hair, Hideto allowed himself a moment to close his eyes. In moments like these, he often imagined that it was Yoshiki combing his hair and massaging his back; how he longed for a time where that would be possible! But he knew, that with his eternal life, a time such as that must be coming; so he was content to wait.

*

Finally, the night of the moon-viewing party was upon them; the whole court was present for the festivities, basking in the cool summer evening air. Tonight was a night for poetry, music, and songs – both Hideto and Yoshiki had written many beautiful poems to celebrate the full moon and the Emperor and his queen. Because they were both so talented, many in the court often tried to pit them against each other to win the Emperor’s favor; but because the pair loved each other so deeply, these petty competitions among the other nobles was more fun than anything. They often laughed about the other members of the court in their spare time, playing games and imitating the more annoying men, making the other guess who they were acting as.

But for now, the two men were the image of restraint and reverence; dressed in deep purple and red and blue robes, they took turns reciting their poetry for the Emperor and Empress, always receiving applause at the end of their pieces. They performed at opposite ends of the wooden dais, each man next to the one who favored them; Hideto next to the Emperor, Yoshiki next to his queen. Though they had to be calm and reserved on such an important evening, Hideto always snuck silly faces and stuck his tongue out at the royal children, who made faces back at him. The Empress caught him doing so, and laughed. She remarked how childlike Hideto was when he wanted to be. _Yes, he can be so delightful_ , Yoshiki thought to himself.

After a while, when the time for poetry was over and the men could move about freely, they walked side by side next to the stream behind the performance ground. They walked close enough that their sleeves made a rustling noise when they rubbed together, but they did not dare hold hands. They spoke just above a whisper so that the night’s noises could cover what they said.

“I’m hungry, Hideto,” Yoshiki said after making sure they were quite alone.

Hearing him speak so plainly. Hideto too felt a hunger overtake him. “What should we do?” he asked, almost plaintively. It had been a while since they fed. “There are too many people out tonight, if someone should see…”

Yoshiki smiled and stopped walking, and leaned against a young tree. Hideto paused as well, and brought his face close to the other man. “I have a plan,” Yoshiki said finally. “Do you want to cause a little trouble?”

“Trouble?” _Usually he’s the one to try and keep me out of it_ , Hideto thought.

“The Onmyoji are whispering about a demon that drains the life out of unsuspecting people,” he grinned, “what on earth do you think that could be?”

Hideto couldn’t suppress a laugh. “Oh no,” he replied sarcastically, “whatever shall we do?”

Yoshiki bent his head forward, signaling that Hideto should come closer. “Let’s give the Onmyoji something to really be afraid of,” he said.

“What should we do?”

“Shall we eat the head Miko?” Yoshiki’s eyes glinted as he spoke.

“That’s bold, Yoshiki,” Hideto replied, but he was intrigued. “Tell me your plan.”

“Walk with me,” he said, standing upright and beginning to walk up the path again.

Speaking in riddles so that anyone who might hear did not understand, the two made their plan to devour the head priestess that evening. What a stir it would cause! But Yoshiki had chosen the head Miko not only because of the scandal it would be, but because of what he had found out about her – Miko were expected to be pure, chaste women who used their holy powers for the betterment of the temple; but this Miko was a scheming, shrewd woman. And, Yoshiki knew from firsthand experience with her, she was certainly not a virgin. When Hideto heard that, he began to grow jealous. Yoshiki calmed his lover down, explaining that he had only accepted her invitation to her bed because of his larger plan to expose her wrongdoings – she was plotting to bring down the Emperor, he said. In his late-night trysts with the Miko, he had been learning more and more of her plans to assassinate the Emperor; and he had been feeding this information to the palace guards.

“So you see, my love,” Yoshiki concluded, “If she turns up dead, drained of life by some demon, it will be divine retribution, not the act of a monster.”

Hideto couldn’t help but smile. “So clever,” he said at last. “Though, I cannot help but be jealous, that woman having you to herself in ways I desperately miss...” He quickly glanced around and made sure they were quite alone, then slipped a hand beneath the folds of Yoshiki’s robes at his chest. Feeling his lover’s skin against his own after so long going without, Yoshiki shivered with joy. Hideto gently ran the tips of his fingers along the contours of the other man’s chest and neck.

“Soon,” Yoshiki cooed, trying to keep control under the other man’s touch. “But first, we are hungry.”

“Yes,” Hideto growled, face pressed against Yoshiki’s neck, “we are.”


	3. Chapter 3

**_Tokyo, 1990s_ **

Yoshiki gently poked Hide’s nose. “Don’t fall asleep on me now,” he said, “it was your idea to look through the photo album.” Hide stirred awake, blinking away the heaviness in his eyelids. He pouted cutely, and Yoshiki couldn’t resist kissing the other man’s forehead.

“Yo-chan, do you remember when we went to America for the first time?”

Yoshiki smiled. “I do.”

“Where’s that photo?” Hide began to flip the heavy pages of the photo album before finding what he was looking for. This photo, too, was faded, but the colours were still there. Yoshiki and Hide, side by side on the Ellis Island Ferry with the Statue of Liberty in the background, the men wearing wide bell-bottom jeans and silk shirts open at the chest, hair long and straight. _The sixties were such an odd era for fashion_ , Hide thought. _But look how happy we were…_ he looked up at Yoshiki and kissed at his jaw. “Yo-chan, tell me the story of when we went to the Village.”

“You remember that?”

“Of course I do!” Hide replied, feigning annoyance. “I kissed you for the first time in public there!”

Yoshiki’s grin widened. “I know, I’ll never forget it. I was just teasing you.”


	4. Chapter 4

**_New York, 1960s_ **

“Yoshiki, it’s cold, cold, cold!” Hide buried his face in the other man’s arm as they sailed across the Hudson river.

“Don’t be such a big baby, Hide,” Yoshiki teased. “It’s just a little windy. And look, we’re going to sail past the Statue of Liberty!”

“Ah!” Hide exclaimed, all feelings of the chill gone. “Get your camera!” Yoshiki handed Hide the Nikon camera and laughed as Hide asked a nearby tourist in broken English to please take their photo.

The stranger obliged, and Hide and Yoshiki posed, big cheesy grins on their faces.

“It’s beautiful,” Hide said, voice all wonderment and childlike. He pressed himself against the cool railing of the ferry. Yoshiki joined him, their hips touching. _How I wish I could kiss you now_ , he thought. _I’m such a soppy romantic_. Hide shot him a glance that seemed to say, _I wish I could kiss you, too._

Over their many, many years together, attitudes had begun to slowly shift about men in love. Things hadn’t moved at the pace either man had desired; they still lived very much in secret. But, in this new decade of “sexual liberation,” at least there were more and more underground communities the pair could slink off to without being judged. They were excited to explore Greenwich and the East Village, places where – so they’d heard – men could hold hands in public, even in the day time.

Of course, they’d wanted to do other touristy things; see Times Square, go to a Broadway show – even though their English wasn’t very good, and they wouldn’t be able to follow the plot – go to the top of the Empire State building. They had planned two weeks of activities, punctuated by evenings spent in the company of men just like them.

Finally arriving at their hotel room, the men flopped onto the large bed and sighed.

Hide turned to Yoshiki, and smiling, said, “alone at last, Yo-chan…” and kissed the other’s nose.

Yoshiki pulled him in closer and pressed their foreheads together. “Alone at last,” he repeated. “You and I in a foreign city, what a treat.”

“Play for me,” Hide said, seemingly out of the blue.

Yoshiki was a little caught off-guard. He was hoping to get his lover in a compromising position, but apparently Hide had other plans. “You want me to play for you?”

“Yeah,” Hide rolled off the bed and stood up, grabbing a cigarette. He placed one between Yoshiki’s parted lips and lit it. “Play your guitar for me with the New York sunset making your skin glow, as cigarette smoke floats in the air. That’s romantic.”

Yoshiki couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head. “As you wish, my love.” He motioned for Hide to pass him his acoustic guitar from its case. Handing him his guitar, Hide kissed Yoshiki’s cheeks.

“What shall I play?” Yoshiki wondered aloud as he tuned his guitar.

“That tune you were humming earlier, do you remember it?”

“Yes,”

“I’ll sing something, to go with it. Like a double act,” Hide grinned cheekily in Yoshiki’s direction as he twirled his long black hair.

Yoshiki laughed at Hide’s cute face. “Alright.” He paused for a moment trying to remember exactly how the tune had gone; once he was satisfied that he recalled it, he began to play.

Hide listened to the music once, eyes closed, trying to form the words. As Yoshiki began to play the song a second time, Hide began to sing.

_All of you in my memory is still shining in my heart_

_Now you're wearing the mysterious lights_

_It keeps me sticking into my heart_

_My heart has been gonna dye deep red with all of pain_

_There's no one to cure my pain only without you_

_How I try to shout, how I try to run_

_There's nothing I can do_

_The wall hiding my heart is never broken again_

_How I try to break_

Each time Yoshiki played the song from the start, Hide added more lyrics. “You should write that down before you forget it,” Yoshiki suggested, “it’s a good song. Maybe we can use it one day.”

“You think so?” Hide smiled and began to rummage in his backpack for a pen and paper. “Do you think we’ll be musicians in another life?”

Yoshiki slid closer to Hide on the bed and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “We could give it a try,” he smiled. “How hard could it be?”

*

After the pair had slept off the remainder of their jetlag, they dressed and headed out for Greenwich Village. _I can’t wait to dance with you in public_ , Hide thought wistfully as he gazed out of the subway window into the blackness of the tunnel. He looked at Yoshiki through the window’s reflection and allowed himself a moment to study the other man. Yoshiki’s hair was long and straight, bundled together in a loose ponytail, fringe floppy, framing his almond-shaped eyes. They had both decided to wear black, but made up for their monochrome outfits with gold jewelry bought from a street vendor earlier that day. _Even with this decade’s silly fashions_ , Hide mused, _you’re still so gorgeous_. Yoshiki met Hide’s gaze through the mirror’s reflection, and smiled. _How handsome you look_ , Yoshiki said with his eyes. Hide, seeming to understand, fought to hide a blush.

At last, the men disembarked and moved into the throngs of people out of the subway station. When they emerged onto the street, they felt like they had entered an entirely new reality.

The first thing both men saw was a young gay couple, holding hands by their pinkies as they walked, ice cream in hand. Hide glanced sidelong at Yoshiki who, without missing a beat, took Hide’s hand in his. They walked into the summer night air.

“This feels… good,” Yoshiki said softly after a while. “Doesn’t it?” He looked at Hide for approval.

“Yo-chan,” Hide replied, “look, there’s another couple. And there, too…” He smiled, suddenly feeling lighter. They asked a gay couple where they could go to have a drink, and were pointed in the direction of a place called the Stonewall Inn. The couple was on their way there as well, so Yoshiki and Hide were happy to walk all together.

“How long have you two been together?” one of the men asked.

The pair looked at each other and laughed. _What a question!_ Yoshiki thought.

Hide smiled and answered, “Oh, forever.” He looked at Yoshiki lovingly. “We’ve been together since we were born.”

The other men awed and told them how sweet it was to see a couple like them, who had been together so long. Their names were Jeremy and Michael, the pair found out, and they had both run away from their homes to be together. They told Yoshiki and Hide about the times they had been attacked by others who called them names and how their parents had disowned them. Hearing these things, Hide began to get upset.

“How can people do such horrible things?” He asked. Yoshiki steadied his arm.

“It’s alright,” Michael said. “As long as we have each other, we will survive. And if we have a community of people like you two, we will survive.”

That made Hide smile. “Let’s all get drunk tonight,” he said as they turned the corner and saw the bar.

*

After a few drinks, Yoshiki began to let loose. He pulled Hide off the seat and wrapped his arms around his waist, and together they swayed drunkenly to the music. Their new friends, Michael and Jeremy, joined them and they all danced together, amid a sea of men who were just like them. Happy, carefree, and in love. _Maybe we should stay here_ , Yoshiki thought after a while, as he watched Hide dancing cheesily with Jeremy. _Look how happy he is. When was the last time we felt so free, in public?_

Yoshiki saw something flash in Hide’s eyes – was it hunger? Perhaps, but not for blood – and he pulled him away from their new friends. Yoshiki pushed Hide against the wall and kissed him, pressing himself between Hide’s parted legs. Feeling how hard Yoshiki was made Hide moan; he was grateful for the loud music to cover his noises.

“Yo-chan,” Hide whispered in Yoshiki’s ear, “take me to the bathroom.”

Yoshiki grinned and pulled Hide by the hand to the nearby bathroom. The music still echoed through the brick walls, but at least here, they were alone. Hide pulled Yoshiki by the hand into one of the stalls and locked the door, leaning against it. He smiled his crooked, sneaky smile. Yoshiki crashed their mouths together, kissing deeply and digging his nails into the other man’s back.

In a swift motion, Hide spun Yoshiki around and pushed him against the bathroom stall door, with one hand undoing the buttons on his jeans. He took Yoshiki’s length in his hand and began to gently stroke it, pressing his face against Yoshiki’s neck and kissing hard. Yoshiki’s knees felt weak with delight.

“Hide…!” Yoshiki whispered desperately.

“Turn around,” Hide replied, his voice a low growl. “I need to be inside of you…”

Hearing Hide speak that way sent a shiver down Yoshiki’s spine. He obliged, bracing himself against the door. He felt Hide’s fingers begin to massage him, and he looked back through the corner of his eye to see Hide undoing the buttons on his own jeans. The thrill of the evening overcame Yoshiki and he grew impatient for Hide’s cock.

“Hide… hide…” he repeated, “I need it…”

Hide kissed Yoshiki’s neck and wrapped one arm around his chest, scratching. “I know…” he replied.

In a swift motion, Hide at last entered Yoshiki with a grunt – he was again grateful for the cover of music to hide his moans – and he held Yoshiki’s waist as he began to thrust.

Yoshiki’s hot breath left condensation marks against the cool stall door. His hand fumbled behind him for Hide’s, and he placed it around his length, bidding him stroke. Hide complied, and soon, both men were reaching their limit.

“Yo-chan, I’m…!” Hide breathed into Yoshiki’s ear.

“Ah…!”

In a moment, both men spilled into each other, gasping and sweating. Yoshiki collapsed back into Hide’s arms, panting. He kissed Hide’s cheek. “I love you,” he said.

“And I love you,” Hide replied.

The pair stayed motionless for a few moments longer, catching their breath. They stepped out of the stall hoping that no one else had come in; they relaxed when they saw they were still all alone. Having washed their faces and straightened up, they left the bathroom hand in hand to rejoin their new friends.

*

At around 2am, the four decided to get pizza. They left the bar and as they walked along the street looking for a vendor, a passing man stuck out his leg and tripped Jeremy, and laughed.

“Fucking faggots,” the man spat.

“What did you say?” Michael shot back, emboldened by the alcohol.

“I said,” the man replied, squaring up to Michael, “you’re a bunch of fucking faggots.” He raised his fist and landed a punch square on Michael’s jaw. Reeling, Michael stepped back, and slowly raised his hands in surrender.

“Do something!” Yoshiki exclaimed to Hide, stunned. But before their attacker could land a second punch, Hide stopped him in his tracks. He’d swiftly moved behind him and snapped his neck. The brute fell to the ground, motionless.

Yoshiki gasped and asked Hide in Japanese, “Shit. What are we going to do now?”

Michael and Jeremy’s eyes grew wide. “What the hell?” Jeremy asked, bewildered. “Did you… did you just…?”

“We’re going to have to erase this memory, Yo-chan,” Hide said in Japanese. And then, in English, “I didn’t want him to hurt you again.” He tried his best to look apologetic.

Jeremy stood up. “Thanks…” was all he could say.

Michael seemed to be the more level-headed of the two. He shook his head and said, “we’ve gotta get out of here.”

The four ran as fast as they could until they reached the edge of a small park. “What are we gonna do?” Michael asked, panting from the effort.

Yoshiki and Hide looked at each other. “We’re going to have to erase their memory of us.” Yoshiki looked sad. “I thought we had made friends.”

“I know,” Hide replied. “But we have to save them, too.”

“What are you two saying?” Jeremy asked. “We can’t understand you.”

“It’s nothing,” Yoshiki reassured. “Sit down, catch your breath.” Michael and Jeremy sat down next to the pair on a park bench. Hide and Yoshiki gave each other one last look before they whispered in each man’s ear, “you will forget us. You will forget this night. You will know nothing of our time here.”

And they vanished, retreated to their hotel room.

Michael and Jeremy slept soundly on the park bench for the rest of the evening.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Tokyo, 1990s_ **

“I still think that trip was a good one,” Hide said after a while, “despite what we had to do. Didn’t we have fun before all of that happened?”

Yoshiki agreed. “Yes,” he said, kissing Hide again. “I wonder where Michael and Jeremy are now. I hope they’ve grown old together.”

“Like us?” Hide grinned. He flipped the page in the photo album.

“Yes, like us.”

*

**_Tokyo, 2017_ **

“Happy birthday, Hide,” Yoshiki smiled, presenting Hide with a small strawberry shortcake. There were candles on it that read, “53.”

Hide laughed. “Yo-chan, you know I’m much older than that!” He kissed the other man on the cheek and they posed for a photo.

“The fans don’t know that,” he said. “I’m going to tag you in this photo, okay? I haven’t posted in a while.”

“Here, take one for me on my phone,” Hide handed Yoshiki his mobile. “I’ll post one, too.”

“The fans will like that,” Yoshiki replied. “Smile!”

At the last second, Hide kissed Yoshiki’s cheek as the other man snapped their selfie.

“See, it’s cute!” Hide joked. “Post that one!”

“Hide,” Yoshiki cautioned. “Is that wise?”

Hide playfully slapped Yoshiki’s shoulder. “Come on now, old man,” he kissed Yoshiki’s lips softly. “Times have changed.” He rested his head against the other man’s neck. “And besides, everyone already knows. Social media is fascinating, isn’t it?”

Yoshiki laughed. “It is, you’re right.” Pausing to think about it, at last he agreed. “Alright, post that one. It’s cute.”

Hide tapped away on his phone. “What should I caption it?” He asked.

Again, Yoshiki thought for a moment. “Love,” he said, at last.

“Just ‘love’?” Hide asked, looking up from his phone. He smiled. “Yes, I think that’s good.”

“Don’t forget to tag me!” Yoshiki said, wrapping his arms around the other man and kissing his cheek.

 


End file.
